(From the front page of today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Senate Passes Bill Protecting Gays, Lesbians
Olympia - A bill that would extend protection against malicious harassment
to gays and lesbians passed the state Senate yesterday and is expected to
be signed into law by Gov. Mike Lowry.
Current law aims to prevent and punish crimes against people based on
race, religion, ancestry or physical or mental disability. This bill,
ESHB1569, would add sexual orientation and gender to that list.
The measure, which was approved on a 29-20 vote, now goes back to the
House for concurrence on a minor amendment.
Proponents of the measure, who cite a sharp rise in hate crimes in recent
years, have been trying to pass such a measure for the last four years.
But a Republican-dominated Senate always either killed the bill before it
got to the Senate floor or stripped it of its basic intent.
Debate yesterday was tepid. In fact, the only speech was in favor of the
measure.
"I think it's a very important policy we're stating, that hate crimes are
not to be tolerated," said Sen. Adam Smith, D-Kent, urging his colleagues
to support the bill.
Under the current statute, a hate crime is considered a Class C felony,
punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and five years in prison.